Stephen Patrick Archive — Page 1 of 4

Newborn baby lying in a hospital bassinet, yawning with one hand near the mouth and a medical tube visible on the arm.
March 5, 2025

Team finds a better way to identify newborns at risk for opioid withdrawal

By 2017, on the back of the opioid crisis, the rate of neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome in the U.S. was estimated to have reached 7.3 per 1000 deliveries. Meanwhile, many newborns exposed to opioids in utero never develop the syndrome and must undergo needless monitoring in the hospital after birth.

By Paul Govern
White tablets spilled from an open orange prescription bottle, with additional pill bottles blurred in the background.
July 22, 2024

Opioid treatment can avoid foster care placement: study

If women are given medications to treat opioid use disorder during their pregnancy they are significantly more likely to retain custody of their newborns after delivery

By Bill Snyder
Agricultural sprayer boom releasing a fine spray over a dense green crop.
May 6, 2024

Second-most used herbicide in the US linked to birth defect in national study 

At present, 44 countries, including the European Union, have banned or are phasing out atrazine due to concern for its negative effects on human health.

By Craig Boerner
A red check mark fills the box beside “I agree,” while the box beside “I disagree” is empty; a pen rests above the form.
February 7, 2024

Education, bullying, mental health, school gun violence top list of parental concerns for their children: poll

The latest results from an annual poll of Tennessee parents from the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy again show education and school quality is the leading concern parents have for their children for the third consecutive year.

By Tamarra McElroy and Jake Lowary
Exterior of Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, showing a glass-fronted entrance, tall modern hospital buildings, colorful child-themed signage, and a red hospital logo.
January 31, 2024

Jaser, Patrick, Upperman elected to the American Pediatric Society

Vanderbilt’s Sarah Jaser, PhD, and Stephen Patrick, MD, MPH, MS, and Jeffrey Upperman, MD, have been elected to the American Pediatric Society.

By Christina Echegaray
VUMC NEWS logo in white lettering inside a cyan and yellow outlined square on a blue gradient background.
October 12, 2023

More work needed on plans of safe care for infants affected by maternal substance use

Vanderbilt research found that there is variability in practice for infants affected by maternal substance use driven by vague policy, challenges of cross-system collaboration and a lack of general knowledge about substance use disorder.

By Nancy Humphrey